Just seven days to go

Up to 85,000 people are expected to complete the city2surf next Sunday.

Whether you have followed the training program run for run, or plan to wing it on the day, here are some last-minute tips that are sure to get you through every kilometre.

Hydrate

Make sure you are drinking enough water each day of the week leading up to the event. When it comes to the morning of the race, sports nutritionist Alexandra Rees says “the best thing to do is sip regularly before the race”. This prevents that horrible ‘sloshing’ feeling in your stomach that is a result of drinking too much at once.

Eat well

It is important to eat regular, healthy, balanced meals in the lead up to the run. Don’t introduce any new foods to your diet the day before, or morning of, the event – it’s not worth risking an upset or heavy feeling in your stomach.

Update your playlist

Whether you prefer to run to your own music or soak in the sounds of the City2Surf, check out the Run Out Loud playlist on Spotify to get you in the running mood in the week before the race.

Prepare the clothes you have been training in

Fresh new gear is always a treat to run in, but when running a race, it is essential to run in what you and your body are used to. New gear could cause you to chafe or blister, creating discomfort, which will affect your results and enjoyment on the day.

Taper

Gradually decrease the distance and intensity of your training runs in the lead up to the event, so that your body is fresh, and risk of any training injury is minimised. Your final training run should be 3 days before the event.

Get organised

On the night before the event, get yourself organised by pinning your bib to your race top and laying out your gear, ready for the early rise the next morning. There is nothing worse than rummaging furiously through drawers for safety pins at 5am on the morning of a race!

Warm up and stretch properly before the race

When race day arrives, don’t allow the excitement of the 80,000 people at the starting line distract you from your routine warm-up, or you will, no doubt, pay for it.

Number Crunch:

1) Number of consecutive years City2Surf has been held: 44

2) Number of kilometres in the City2Surf: 14

3) Number of participants in the first ever City2Surf in 1971: 2,107

4) Record time took to complete the race: 40.03 minutes by Steve Moneghetti in 1991

5) Age of oldest participant in a City2Surf event: 99 years old

6) Record sum of donations raised by City2Surf participants and sponsors: $4 million+

Georgia loves spending her weekends trekking Sydney's iconic coastlines - inevitably with a soy latte in one hand, and iPhone in the other. Aspiring linguist, teacher, and social soccer player in need of a few extra training sessions.